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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · wax · fine · tube · march · season · cap · bass

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tube — the underground
  4. season — in sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. season — of the year
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. tube — a container
  9. march — music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — all right
  15. wax — to grow
  16. march — the month
  17. bass — low music
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cap — a lid
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com